Measures to prevent injury from falls at home
12 December 2019
Since about 10 years of Parkinson’s history, the number of falls I have clearly increased. I remember a nurse who said, “Be careful if you fall and break a bone, you are more likely to be bedridden.” Even if you are usually careful about falling, you will fall when you fall, so I changed my mindset and prepared my home environment so that even if I fall, the damage from the injury will be reduced.
・Lay a joint mat with a corked surface in the kitchen
・Draw a tile carpet in the hallway
I just did the above two points. Let’s take a closer look Let’s take a look.
With a cork of joint mat, it doesn’t hurt to stumble
Figure 1: joint mat
Since about 10 years of Parkinson’s history, the number of falls I have clearly increased. I remember a nurse who said, “Be careful if you fall and break a bone, you are more likely to be bedridden.” Even if you are usually careful about falling, you will fall when you fall, so I changed my mindset and prepared my home environment so that even if I fall, the damage from the injury will be reduced.
When you fall on the floor, your knees come into contact with the floor, causing shocks, which hurts and takes longer to stand up. After each fall, a three-piece set of falls→ fractures→ bedridden crosses my mind, and my face turns blue.
I finally found a mat that would not hurt or hurt me when I fell. That was the joint mat. It now fits like a jigsaw puzzle in my kitchen!
Damage in the event of a fall is nearly nonexistent compared to the floor. The EVA material acts as a cushioning material. When I fall, my knees don’t hurt. The surface is smooth in summer and cool in winter.
However, depending on the manufacturer, the edges of some joint mats may remain wavy or rectangular. If the joint mats are to be installed in front of the door, the thickness of the mats should be checked.
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Carpet tiles in hallways
Perhaps because my home is not level, I could never get the joints to fit properly with joint mats. Now I tried a carpet tile that can be worn in any shape I want.
Carpet tiles are 50cm square carpets that are laid on the floors of offices and stores. The back of the carpet has a non-slip surface to prevent shifting, and there are many colors to choose from, so you can fit the carpet in any combination you like.
I bought a carpet tile from Tori, which was sold at a nearby home improvement center, and laid it out in a single layer. It feels thinner than a joint mat when you fall on it, so there is a bit of impact, but it doesn’t hurt as much as the floor.
Click here to learn more about carpet tiles.
Joint mats have the least impact in the event of a fall
In summary, the damage to the knee in a fall is as follows
Floor > carpet tile > cork of joint mat
If you injure your knee and your knee plate breaks, you will have trouble walkings. So take measures to avoid injury if you fall inside your home.
